Physical Education

Donald K. Johnson was born on Monday, July 28th, 1930, in the city of Hollywood, California. The early 1930s brought about many significant events in the United States and abroad. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was leading the country through the Great Depression with his “New Deal;” a series of programs and promises he initiated with the goal of providing relief to the poor, reforming the country’s financial system, and recovering the in the midst of great economic decline.

Dr. Judith Rink, full professor in the Department of Physical Education at the University of South Carolina, has been described by her former doctoral students as inspiring, humorous, intelligent, professional, well-read, knowledgeable, tough, intense, charismatic, amazing, insightful, challenging, supportive, humble, caring, giving, encouraging, nurturing, interesting, confident, cutting-edge, wise, and thoughtful. When asked if she had any comments about her former students’ assessment of her, she humbly replied (in reference to herself), “I don’t know this person [they are talking about]” (J. E. Rink, personal communication, November 1, 2008). With 43 years of experience in physical education, a resume’ that is 24 pages in length and honors, awards, research, publications, and services too numerous to mention, anyone in the profession would consider Dr. Judith Rink to be one of the most accomplished professionals in the history of physical education. She has influenced the lives of many through her research and teaching, and is set to retire in a few short months, in June of 2009.